Coupons and discounts aside, one of the best ways to cut grocery bills is to be as disciplined as a drill sergeant about how you shop and how often. Add a few cost-saving tricks, and watch grocery bills shrink.

Here are easy-to-follow tips, some offered by Sun Sentinel readers:

Shop less frequently. This one's a no brainer: Frugal shoppers know the more often you venture to the store, the more likely you'll succumb to "impulse buying." Experts estimate that shoppers making "quick trips" spend up to 54 percent more than they planned.

To help stop you from paying for an extra bags of chips, candy you don't need and magazines that will drive up your bill, limit grocery trips to once or twice a month. To pull it off so that you have what you need for longer periods, you have to be willing to spend time creating grocery lists. Shopping less frequently will also make you more likely to purchase items in bulk, which tend to cost less per serving than smaller packages.

Stick to the list. Those shopping lists only save you money when you stick to the plan. Those who design grocery store floor plans and shelving know how to capture your attention (even subliminally) and your wallet - by placing pricier impulse-buy items at eye level, near the cash registers or at the ends of aisles.

Keep your eyes on the ball, er, grocery list. Make a game of it: My personal best time for a regular family shopping trip -- no extra items allowed -- is nine minutes.

Compare prices on everything. But you don't want to race through the grocery aisles so fast you miss a bargain. While you want to stick to your list, keep an eye out for discounts, two-for-one deals and buy-one-get-one-free offers. For instance, if ketchup is on your list, check the price on any brand on sale, including generic store brands.

ShopSmart magazine recently reviewed store products like cookies and juice and found that often store brands match name brands for taste and quality, offering savings per item of up to 40 percent. For instance, the magazine sided with a store brand whipped cream product over Cool Whip, and gave a tie to store brands vs. big names like Ocean Spray-Cran Raspberry, A1 Steak Sauce, Duncan Hines Brownies and Dole Whole Frozen Strawberries.

Weigh your decisions. Look closely at the price per ounce or pound before buying. For instance, the better bargain may be the 1-pound box of frosted flakes over the 12-ounce package. The smaller size may have a lower price tag, but you are likely to save money over time on the bigger box because the contents cost less per ounce.

Avoid prepared foods. In general, prepared foods are more expensive and less healthy. But this is one area where it is smart to balance cost with time, particularly for working parents. For instance, a pre-prepared salad can easily cost double the price for buying individual ingredients and making the salad yourself within. On the other hand, Publix and Winn Dixie sell cooked whole chickens that cost about $5 or $7 each, a price hard to beat considering the time you save not preparing the chicken yourself.

Compare grocery store policies. Some stores will price match sales at others, such as Wal-Mart and Target. Check with the cashier or manager. Also take advantage of stores that refund the entire price of an item when it rings up higher than the advertised price.

Even if the store does not publicize such policies, it's worth politely asking a store manager to honor them or mention you will take your business elsewhere.

Leave your family at home. If your spouse or children are likely to put extras into the shopping cart, avoid the temptation and hassle of saying no by shopping solo.

To save online, www.ShopSmart.org recommends:

Download discounts. Check sites such as SmartSource.com, Coupons.com and CoolSavings.com the first day of each month, when new coupons are usually loaded.

Sign up for e-mail alerts. Go to manufacturers' Web sites and sign up for e-mail alerts for coupons and special offers. Bring your printout. To redeem an Internet coupon, print the whole page (URL included) and take it with you to the store in case there is a question about its authenticity.

Search online circulars. Before you plan menus and decide where to shop that week, scan store circulars at sites like Mygrocerydeals.com and Sundaysaver.com. Check the sites of local supermarkets.

What do you say? Have your own grocery tips to share? Send an e-mail.

Daniel Vasquez can be reached at dvasquez@sunsentinel.com, or 954-356-4219, or 561-243-6600, ext. 4219. To see more columns from Daniel Vasquez, go to sunsentinel.com/vasquez.Check out Daniel Vasquez's Consumer Talk blog for ways to spend your money wisely, use technology to make life easier and keep your family safe and healthy at sunsentinel.com/consumerblog.